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Uenari
Uenari Tribes Overview: Founding Date: Quake 2 Within the deepest reaches of the ancient God’s Woods in the northwest live the tribes of the Uenari. A secretive and isolated culture, the Uenari make great efforts to avoid the conflict and politics of the outside world. The Uenari are not considered to be particularly numerous in terms of their population, nor do they seem to employ a rigid governmental structure. However, despite their loose organization and moderate populace, the Uenari are fiercely defensive of their home and overwhelmingly wary of outsiders. History: Origins The Uenari claim to be able to trace their ancestry back thousands of years, to the formation of the first settlements and the discovery and reclamation of the City Beneath the Moon . Though the validity of this statement is questionable, the fact remains that the Uenari have inhabited the God’s Woods for far longer than anyone living today is likely to recall. According to the oral history and tradition of the Uenari, their people discovered the ruins and tattered remnants of those who had come before. However, unlike many of the other civilizations, the Uenari shunned the legacy and teachings of these ancestors, choosing instead to lay claim to the God’s Woods as their home, which was viewed as being free of the influence of the old civilizations. Famous Figures The decision to forgo the knowledge and remnants of the lost civilizations was not one that was made lightly, and it was largely due to the influence of a particular individual: Eathric Uenar . Eathric believed that to build upon the ruins and legacy of prior civilizations was to invite into their societies the same vices and weaknesses that had brought down their predecessors. He believed that only by building up a home for themselves separate from everything that came before could a society be built that would survive. His clan and those of a like mind followed Eathric into the ancient woods, slowly and painstakingly building up their own civilization that would come to bear the name of the man who helped forge it. Politics/Social structure The Uneari are broken up into a tribal structure with each small tribe living within its own community. Though these tribes are separated from each other, they are not confrontational with each other, and remain divided only as a result of not having enough resources within a small region to maintain larger populations in a single settlement. The various tribes of the Uenari recognize a shared culture amongst themselves, and are more often than not cooperative with neighboring tribes. However, the Uenari as a people are not overly fond of the concept of a “kingdom” or “nation” as other cultures have taken to embracing. Each of the individual tribes remains autonomous, and do not answer to a central authority figure, unless one is specially chosen in times of absolute need. Almost all members of the Uenari Tribes are hunters, trappers, and gatherers by necessity rather than by choice. Because of the lack of arable land so deep into the woods, hunting and gathering what edible plant life exists is one of the most important tasks for the survival of the tribes. Though the members of the tribe are all trained and experienced hunters, the Uenari do not have any warriors in the conventional sense. There are no trained soldiers or standing armies for the Uenari. Just as the Uenari have no dedicated soldiers, they also lack any sort of merchant or crafting class. Trade and crafting for the purposes of money or barter are conducted by individuals chosen by the elders or chiefs, and such assignments are only temporary. Upon completion of an assigned task, the tribe member returns to their prior “job”. Though merchant work and crafting as a trade are not practiced by the Uenari, many tribe members take up some form of craft within their own free time, and trading or bartering between members of a tribe are common occurrences. Within the tribes, the closest thing that the Uenari recognize as positions of leadership are the Tribal elders and chiefs. These individuals are selected by a tribe from amongst its most prominent and useful contributors, using whatever criteria the tribe chooses to employ. Elders, as their names would suggest, are usually elected from those members of a tribe who are older and usually less able to perform physically intensive tasks. Elders are seen as highly respectable individuals within Uenari society, as having survived to their old age is a rarity given the harsh and dangerous environment in which they live. These elders and chiefs are given authority over the tribe in times of crisis, war, or when trade must be conducted with people from outside the tribes. However, outside of these situations they hold no special privileges aside from the respect of other members of the tribes. Legal system * Leaving the woods is highly discouraged unless it is for a specific task for the benefit of one’s tribe. Such a task must have been either assignment by an elder or chief, or have been approved by one. However, while the act of leaving the tribe is discouraged, there is no specific law against it. Should an individual leave their tribe, they are considered to have been exiled, and are viewed as not longer being a member of their tribe. * Violence against other tribes or members of other tribes is considered taboo. However, members of the tribes are incredibly reluctant to punish members of their own race physically, and violent offenders are exiled from the tribal lands. * The Uenari do not employ the death penalty for any crime whatsoever, but only for tribe members. Outsiders may be sentenced to death and executed for a crime, but no recognized member of a tribe may be. * Theft and non-violent crimes are usually punished at the discretion of the tribal elders and chiefs. The most common precedent in these instances is the return of the victim to their state prior to the crime in terms of property, and then the additional repayment of any losses at the expense of the offender. Foreign Relations Derilliol Confederation The Uenari have had contact with the Deril far before the tribes encountered any of the other modern civilizations. The history of the two peoples is complicated, with both cooperation and conflict in equal amounts. Adventurous Deril have found themselves unknowingly wandering into territory considered to belong the tribes. Many of these “invaders” have been executed by the Uenari, much to the outrage of the Confederation leaders. An official war has never actually taken place between the two people, though leadership in both regions often claim otherwise to exert control over the people. Despite the political disagreements, the Deril and Uenari have found in each other valuable trade partners. The Frostborne of Waterfall Keep Contact between the Uenari and the Frostborne has been almost nonexistent, and for many of the tribes the denizens of Waterfall Keep seem more mythical than real. Some braver Uenari scouts have reported seeing the Frostborne in and around the mountains to the south, but no official relations between the two cultures have been established to this point. Cina Several of the Uenari Tribes have heard tales of groups of wandering warriors patrolling the deserts to the south. Tales have spread of their frequent incursions into the plains just south of the God’s Woods, but as of yet no such incursions have reached the woods, and no tribe claims to have made contact with these wandering fighters. Warfare The Uenari have no army and no warrior class within their society. Every member of a tribe is either a hunter or an elder assigned to educational positions, and the tribal population does not allow for professional soldiers. However, the Uenari are trained to hunt, track, and evade predators within the Woods; skills that are particularly helpful in the event of enemy incursions into tribal territory. In times of crisis, hunters are called upon to repel threats to the tribes, relying on stealth, speed and an advanced knowledge of the wood’s terrain to trap and ambush interlopers or trick them into believing that the Uenari have the greater numbers. Direct confrontation is avoided at all costs, as tribal hunters/trappers are not trained or equipped to fight a conventional battle. With no formal or conventional army to speak of, the Uenari are incapable of offensive actions against their neighbors, and are restricted to fighting solely within their own territory if they wish to be victorious. Culture Customs General Behavior As a whole, the Uenari are often isolated and secretive, being wary of outsiders and defensive of their homes and way of life. Amongst outsiders, this sense of suspicion and slowness to trust is often mistaken for hostility, though this may not always be the case. The Uenari as a people are very reliant upon their communities and fellow tribe members for their very survival, and because of this they see outsiders as potential threats to that trust and dependence. Intrapersonal Within the tribes, the Uenari are expected to act in a friendly and respectful manner. Tribes are often small in terms of population, meaning each tribe is usually made up of a handful of families or clans. Members of a tribe are almost always familiar with all the other members of their tribe, and a sense of community and familial camaraderie pervades everyday life. Courting Courtship within the Uenari tribes is a rather peculiar practice. There exists no specific protocol or tradition associated with courting and marriage except one: that the suitor be able to prove that he/she is capable to contributing to or defending the tribe in a manner that the other party sees as acceptable. In each tribe, this is interpreted differently. Amongst some tribes, the suitor must hunt a particularly dangerous predator alone and return with a trophy to present their intended. In others, the suitor must craft some sort of gift to be given to the one they wish to marry. Generally, marriages are conducted by the presiding chief or elder of the tribe, but this is not a necessity for the marriage to be recognized. Education Younger tribe members begin learning the ways of the Uenari at an early age through a system akin to apprenticeship. The Elders of a tribe will “teach” conceptual aspects of skills to children, as they have had the most experience within their lifetimes. Though Elders may no longer have the physical ability to demonstrate techniques, they have lived and survived long enough to have expert knowledge of the skills they are teaching. In addition to the conceptual teaching from Elders, groups of children/young adults follow hunting and gathering parties, and are expected to learn from the more experienced hunters in the field. Once they have reached a certain age, these young tribe members are sent out in a party with no adult members to complete an assignment from the Elders. Should they achieve this goal, they are viewed as adults within the tribe upon their return. Should the party fail, they are still considered to be children in the eyes of the other tribe members, and must wait until the Elders see fit to give them another chance to complete another task. Art While the Uenari have no dedicated or professional artists, they have still been known to create very interesting art. Furs and skins of hunted animals are the most common medium for artistic expression within the tribes. Amateur artists and Elders turn these skins and furs into shawls and cloaks for the hunters of their tribe, often inscribed or marked in some way with the symbol of that tribe or even a specific clan or personal emblem. Resources Currency The Uenari do not make use of a particular form of currency. The trading process within the tribes is based entirely on a basis of bartering. This system makes trade with other cultures particularly difficult for the Uenari, as they have no use for the currencies of modern civilizations. Finding trade partners willing to barter is of incredibly value to the Uenari, and such partners are held in high regard. Food The Uenari are unable to make use of large scale agriculture, as the God’s Woods do not provide enough contiguous tracts of arable land within the forest. Individual families or clans may have smaller, more personal gardens for small amounts of food within their own settlements, but not enough to live off of. The Uenari are completely reliant on hunting for the majority of their food. Tribes living along sections of the woods neighboring the waterline also supplement food sources by fishing. However, the tribes do not feel safe/comfortable developing permanent settlements along the waterfront as it would mean moving out of the deeper regions of the woods. Fishing expeditions are sent out for days/weeks at a time to collect fish en masse to last for longer periods of time. The Uenari also possess very few domesticated animals, as there is not much space for domesticated groups of animals for food, and no way to protect them from other wild predators. However, the Uenari often domesticate smaller, more mobile animals to serve as scouts and messengers. Small birds are often trained and even bred in order to deliver messages, scout for larger animals, and kill smaller prey for food. Magical Products Used * Webs - The Uenari collect the webs of a species of giant woods spider that live in the God’s Woods. Ingesting these webs give Uenari hunters increased strength and durability for short periods of time, and also make them lighter and more agile. Products * Clothing - The Uenari often make cloaks and other garbs with intricate patterns representing their clan or tribal affiliation. In their limited trade with outsiders, interest is often expressed in purchasing these garbs. Architecture Uenari architecture is best described as practical above all else. With the limited resources that are available within the Woods, the Uenari tend to create minimalist settlements and buildings in order to conserve their precious building materials. Uenari homes are built up in the tree line, and because of this tend to be smaller in nature. Often, a clan will build a series of small, hut-like structures around the trunk of a tree, connected by ladders and walkways. Natural threats Animals * Giant wood spiders - Though the Uenari collect the webs of these creatures for magical purposes, the tribes make every effort to avoid confrontation with the spiders themselves. The woods spiders tend to establish communal webs, and their size, numbers, and ferocity make them incredibly dangerous for even the most experienced hunting party. * Wolves - Packs of wolves within the God’s Wood are still a large threat to the Uenari Tribes. The packs tend to avoid roaming near any tribal settlements, but unwary or inexperienced hunters may find themselves caught by surprise and surrounding by ferocious, ravenous wolves. Environmental Given the colder climate of the North, and the significant cover provided by the massive trees of the God’s Wood, the Uenari often face extended period of harsh, frigid conditions. During this time, it is not uncommon for members of the tribes to die both due to the cold, and the lack of food because of a decrease in the hunting opportunities. Clothing The Uenari favor more lightweight and thin clothing for the purposes of hunting and tracking prey. Crafted from skins and an assortment of flax from the trees of the woods, these lightweight garbs provide hunters with significantly more maneuverability and comfort. However, in times of colder, harsher weather, the Uenari wear much heavier cloaks and shawls made from thicker, heavier furs. Religion The Uenari tribes have no recognized, central religion. There is no patron deity of their people, though most of the tribes allow the worship of any gods or deities and religions so long as they do not directly endanger the tribe. Values The Uenari tolerate any religious beliefs so long as they do not pose a threat to the tribe and they do not encourage violent behavior. Typically, the Uenari appreciate religious values of familial piety, community, and cooperation. Deities The most common form of “religion” amongst the tribes is the reverence of so-called “spirits of the forest”, spiritual avatars of the fundamental forces of nature. The spirits are not worshipped, simply respected by the tribes, and it is believed that the spirits can watch over people and protect them, though they do not grant any sort of power to individuals. The most popular and most frequently recognized spirit is the spirit avatar of the Moon, who holds a slightly more significant place in the tribes religious system. The deep woods are littered with groves in which there are small patches of open air where the tribes will observe the moon and stars. Magics The Uenari typically frown upon the use of “pain magic”, preferring to utilize the magical properties of resources available to them within the God’s Woods. These magical sources are most commonly used to amplify the strength and durability of Uenari hunters in order to track and kill the larger, more fearsome creatures within the Woods. Geography Location The Uenari live in small settlements built deep within the woods amongst the largest and oldest trees at the heart of the forest. The Tribes tend to remain within the woods, only venturing outside of them in times of necessity. The Uenari have no marked paths or roads within their domains. Any paths that may exist are placed at the outermost limit of the God’s Woods and were not created by the Uenari. Geographic features The Uenari inhabit the God’s Woods, an ancient, massive expanse of forest within the northwestern reaches of Palidovas. The trees within the God’s Woods are some of the oldest and largest in the entire world. In the deepest sections of the woods, the trees rise to such a height that it is impossible to see the tops. Along the eastern section of the woods, there is a large canyon and river, though these lands are almost entirely ignored by the Uenari Tribes due to the fact that the woods end around this area. To the west and north lies an expansive lake and a series of islands, both of which are ruled primarily by the Deriolliol Confederation. South of the Woods lies a massive mountain range, home to Frostborne of Waterfall Keep. East of the Uenari lands are large tracts of hills and plains, which at this point in time are largely uninhabited.